An Urban's Rural View

Three of the themes I've mulled -- or maybe it's mauled -- in the last year continue to pop up in the news. Here's a summary of the latest developments.

TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP: For American agriculture, Japan holds the key to these trade talks between the U.S. and 11 other Pacific Rim nations, as I've discussed here (http://tiny.cc/…), here (http://tiny.cc/…) and here (http://tiny.cc/…).

Others of the 11 erect barriers to American ag products but Japan fights more ferociously to keep them up. Agriculture Secretary Vilsack said "some progress was made" in the most recent round of talks "but there's still a long, long way to go."

Most importantly, Vilsack said, "a bad deal is worse than no deal." TPP is important to American agriculture, in his view, "if it is done right."

The question is: Will administration officials consider the deal to be "done right" if the U.S. makes big gains in opening foreign markets for manufactured products but minimal gains for agriculture? It wouldn't be a first in trade history if they did.

NON-GMO FOOD: In previous posts like this (http://tiny.cc/…) and this (http://tiny.cc/…) I've speculated that most food companies aren't taking genetically engineered ingredients out of products because they don't think it will make them money. GMO-free isn't a selling point with most Americans.

In recent days there's been a spate of news on this issue. One development undermines my thesis, one supports it and the third is mixed but leaning toward support.

--Smart Balance announced that its Buttery Spread is "now the only leading spread made with 100% non-GMO sourced ingredients" (https://www.smartbalance.com/…).

--General Mills, which had taken the genetic ingredients out of traditional Cheerios awhile back, reportedly said it "is not focused on reformulating more products as GMO-free (http://tiny.cc/…)." A statement on the company's website (http://tiny.cc/…) concedes that some consumers are concerned about genetic engineering but concludes, "Ensuring safe and effective food production, while conserving precious natural resources, is a longstanding commitment for General Mills. We believe biotechnology can help."

--According to the website Nutriceuticals World, a market study by the NPD Group found that "67% of all primary grocery shoppers are not willing to pay a higher price for non-GMO food" (http://tiny.cc/…). On the other hand, the same research revealed that half of those who primarily shop "specialty stores" are willing to pay more for non-GMO products.

ANIMAL ANTIBIOTICS: In posts here (http://tiny.cc/…) and here (http://tiny.cc/…) I've discussed livestock raisers' complaints that they get more of the blame than they deserve for the dangerous rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Well, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has just issued a study focused entirely on the incorrect and unnecessary prescription of antibiotics for hospital patients (http://tiny.cc/…).

This most assuredly does not mean CDC is absolving animal agriculture. But it is a welcome, explicit recognition by the government that it isn't just livestock raisers who need to change.

Urban Lehner

urbanity@hotmail.com